Minister for the Environment and Water (Australia)

The Australian Minister for the Environment and Water is a position which is currently held by Tanya Plibersek in the Albanese ministry since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.[1]

Minister for the Environment and Water
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia
Incumbent
Tanya Plibersek
since 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holderPeter Howson (as Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts)
Formation10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)
Websiteminister.dcceew.gov.au/plibersek

In the Government of Australia, the minister and assistant minister are responsible for the protection and conservation of the environment; to ensure that Australia benefits from meteorological and related sciences and services; and to see that Australia's interests in Antarctica are advanced. The minister provides direction and oversight of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (previously the Department of the Environment and Energy, and before that the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) to develop and implement national policy, programs and legislation to protect and conserve Australia's environment and heritage.

Portfolio responsibilities

The minister administers their portfolio through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and its environment component bodies, including:

List of ministers

Environment

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for the Environment, or any precedent titles:[2]

Order Minister Party affiliation Prime Minister Ministerial title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Peter Howson   Liberal McMahon Minister for the Environment, Aborigines and the Arts 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 1 year, 270 days
2 Gough Whitlam1 Labor Whitlam 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 14 days
3 Moss Cass Minister for the Environment and Conservation 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 21 April 1975 (1975-04-21) 2 years, 169 days
Minister for the Environment 21 April 1975 (1975-04-21) 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)
4 Jim Cairns 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06) 2 July 1975 (1975-07-02) 26 days
n/a Gough Whitlam 2 July 1975 (1975-07-02) 14 July 1975 (1975-07-14) 12 days
5 Joe Berinson 14 July 1975 (1975-07-14) 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) 120 days
6 Andrew Peacock Liberal Fraser 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) 41 days
7 Ivor Greenwood Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) 8 July 1976 (1976-07-08) 199 days
8 Kevin Newman 8 July 1976 (1976-07-08) 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) 1 year, 165 days
9 Ray Groom 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) 350 days
10 James Webster Minister for Science and the Environment 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) 8 December 1979 (1979-12-08) 1 year, 3 days
11 David Thomson 8 December 1979 (1979-12-08) 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) 331 days
12 Robert Ellicott Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) 17 February 1981 (1981-02-17) 106 days
13 Michael MacKellar 17 February 1981 (1981-02-17) 19 March 1981 (1981-03-19) 30 days
14 Ian Wilson 19 March 1981 (1981-03-19) 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) 1 year, 49 days
15 Tom McVeigh National Country 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) 16 October 1982 308 days
National 16 October 1982 11 March 1983
16 Barry Cohen Labor Hawke 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 4 years, 135 days
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Environment 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)
17 John Brown Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) 18 December 1987 (1987-12-18) 147 days
18 Graham Richardson 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 2 years, 75 days
19 Ros Kelly 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) 3 years, 331 days
Keating Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 1 March 1994 (1994-03-01)
n/a Graham Richardson 1 March 1994 (1994-03-01) 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) 24 days
20 John Faulkner 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 1 year, 352 days
21 Robert Hill Liberal Howard Minister for the Environment 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 5 years, 260 days
22 Minister for the Environment and Heritage 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)
23 David Kemp 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) 2 years, 335 days
24 Ian Campbell 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) 2 years, 96 days
25 Malcolm Turnbull Minister for the Environment and Water Resources 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 307 days
26 Peter Garrett Labor Rudd Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 8 March 2010 (2010-03-08) 2 years, 285 days
Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts 8 March 2010 (2010-03-08) 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)
Gillard 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
27 Tony Burke Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 2 years, 290 days
28 Mark Butler Rudd Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 79 days
29 Greg Hunt Liberal Abbott Minister for the Environment 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 2 years, 305 days
Turnbull 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)
30 Josh Frydenberg Minister for the Environment and Energy 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 2 years, 40 days
31 Melissa Price Morrison Minister for the Environment 18 August 2018 (2018-08-18) 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 274 days
32 Sussan Ley 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) 2 years, 359 days
33 Tanya Plibersek Labor Albanese Minister for the Environment and Water 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) Incumbent 1 year, 146 days

Notes

1 Whitlam was one of a two-man ministry consisting of himself and Lance Barnard for two weeks until the full ministry was announced.

Water

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Water, or any precedent titles:

Order Minister Party affiliation Prime Minister Ministerial title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Malcolm Turnbull Liberal Howard Minister for the Environment and Water Resources 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 307 days
2 Penny Wong Labor Rudd Minister for Climate Change and Water 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 8 March 2010 (2010-03-08) 2 years, 285 days
Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water 8 March 2010 (2010-03-08) 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)
Gillard 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
3 Tony Burke Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 2 years, 290 days
4 Mark Butler Rudd Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 79 days
5 Barnaby Joyce National Turnbull Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) 27 October 2017 (2017-10-27) 2 years, 36 days
n/a Malcolm Turnbull Liberal 27 October 2017 (2017-10-27) 6 December 2017 (2017-12-06) 40 days
n/a Barnaby Joyce National 6 December 2017 (2017-12-06) 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 14 days
6 David Littleproud 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 2 years, 48 days
Morrison 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)
Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 6 February 2020 (2020-02-06)
7 Keith Pitt Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia 6 February 2020 (2020-02-06) 2 July 2021 (2021-07-02) 2 years, 106 days
Minister for Resources and Water 2 July 2021 (2021-07-02) 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)
8 Tanya Plibersek Labor Albanese Minister for the Environment and Water 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) Incumbent 1 year, 146 days

Former ministerial portfolios

List of ministers for sustainable population

The Minister for Sustainable Population was a ministerial portfolio administered through the Department of the Treasury responsible for "planning properly for the infrastructure needs, for the housing needs, for the transport needs, for the regional needs" of the Australian population of the future.[3] Originally entitled the Minister for Population by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, his successor, Julia Gillard, renamed the portfolio to the Minister for Sustainable Population to reflect her policy changes on the matter of population growth and the need for a sustainable future for Australia, saying the change sends a clear message about the new direction the Government is taking.[4] After the 2010 federal election, the portfolio was subsumed by the Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities portfolio.[5]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Tony Burke   Labor Rudd Minister for Population 14 April 2010 (2010-04-14) 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) 3 years, 78 days
Gillard Minister for Sustainable Population 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)

List of ministers for cities and the built environment

The following individual has served as the Minister for Cities and the Built Environment.

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Jamie Briggs   Liberal Turnbull Minister for Cities and the Built Environment 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) 29 December 2015 (2015-12-29) 99 days

List of assistant ministers for the environment

The following individual has served as the Assistant Minister for the Environment.

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Melissa Price   Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for the Environment 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 2251 days

See also

References
  1. "Press Conference - Parliament House, Canberra | Prime Minister of Australia". www.pm.gov.au. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  2. "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  3. "Burke takes on population portfolio". ABC News. Australia. 3 April 2010.
  4. "Gillard puts brakes on 'big Australia'". ABC News. Australia. 27 June 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  5. "Second Gillard Ministry" (PDF). The Australian. 14 September 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
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